Container with cover



March 9, 1965 G. J. THOMPSON 3,172,559

CONTAINER WITH COVER Filed April 15, 1963 IN VEN TOR GORDON AMS Wan/PMBYwvt United States Patent 3,172,559 CONTAHNER WET COVER Gordon JamesThempson, Albuquerque, N. Mex,

assignor to Push Button Container Corporation,

Albuquerque, N. Mex, a corporation of New Mexico Filed Apr. 15, 1963,Ser. No. 272,942 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-60) Our present invention isdirected to containers or boxes having a relatively rigid base andhaving removable cover means releasably mounted on the base receptacle,and provided with cooperating releasable fastening means on thereceptacle and on the cover, and means for manually holding thereceptacle during the removal of the cover therefrom.

Presently known two-piece boxes and containers having inter-fittingtelescopic portions have certain objec tionable features for certainspecial uses, such as powders, powder-like and granular materials,comminuted and relatively small articles which spill relatively easilywhen the covers are separated from the receptacle portions thereof. Suchpresent interfitting boxes and covers usually have the side portionsfrictionally and slidably engaging each other for sealing the contentsand in connection with which a lifting or pulling off of the coverusually also lifts the receptacle and contents which frequently dropsafter being lifted a short distance with the resulting spilling ofcontents. Such lifting movements of present twopiece inter-itting boxesnecessitate the gripping and holding down of the base container whilethe users other hand pulls off the cover, and in many types oftelescopic boxes such holding down of the base container is difficult,inconvenient and impossible with consequent spillage of contents.

It is an important object and accomplishment of our invention to providea container which has a removably and releasably mounted closure andcooperating releas able inter-locking locking means on the closure andon the base of the container respectively and having means removablymounted and retained in the closure or cover which is adapted to bemanually depressed with one or more fingers of the same hand of the userwhich removes the cover or closure from the base portion of thecontainer.

A further object of our invention is to provide a container made ofeither metal or plastic or of a combination thereof, with cooperatingremovable closure and sealing means associated therewith, said sealingmeans being movably mounted within and relative to said closure andbeing positioned to be accessible for manual contact to maintain thelatter in closing sealing engagement with a base container during themanual removal of the main portion of said cover; and which said coverand base receptacle have cooperating releasable locking means thereonadapted to be disengaged and released upon upward manual movement ofsaid cover.

A further object of our invention is the provision of a container havingthe characteristic recited in the preceding paragraphs and having aplurality of projections, flanges or beads upon the normally inner faceof a sealing plate which aid in sealing said plate relative to the upperperiphery of the container receptacle; and in which a portion of thesealing plate is normally exposed to manual contact and pressure for thepurpose of holding the receptacle and its contents in sealed positionduring the unlocking, disengaging movements of the cooperatingreleasable elements mounted on the cover and on the receptaclerespectively, so that lifting of the receptacle from its supportingsurface may be avoided during the cover removing steps.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a container whichdoes not rely merely on the continuing frictional engagementcharacteristic, of ordinary boxes, with covers or the frictionalengagement of screw-type closures, and which has cooperating releasableinterlocking members upon the receptacle and upon the cover respectivelywhich are adapted to either snap into locking engagement or to separateupon lifting of the cover or closure.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a container of thedescribed class and which can be manufactured inexpensively and in awide variety of shapes and sizes, and which may be of either plastic,metal or of a combination thereof.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description and appended claims.

As shown on the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of my novel container and removable cover.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on a plane indicated byline 2-2 of FIG. 1, and showing the cover enclosed in and lockedposition.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on a diametrical planeindicated by line 22 of FIG. 1, and illustrating the cover member andclosure plate in upraised partially removed position with respect to thelower portion of said container.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates asubstantially cup-shaped upwardly opening recepetacle which may be ofvarying shapes and sizes and which is preferably formed by molding thesame from suitable plastic, though which can be made of metal and othersuitable rigid material. The upwardly extending side walls of thereceptacle 10 has formed integral therewith an outwardly and downwardlyextending annular base flange or skirt member 11 which is of greatercircumference than the receptacle 10, and which is slightly yieldable,preferably extending downwardly to a plane a short distance below thebottom of the receptacle 10. Said depending flange 11 hasformedintegrally therewith an outwardly projecting relatively smallannular bead 12 which forms a part of the releasable locking meanshereinafter described. The outer annular face of the side walls of saidreceptacle 10 are preferably inclined inwardly and upwardly asindicated.

Reference numeral 13 generally designates a substantially cup-shapedremovable cover or closure member made of either metal or plastic andwhich has a substantially fiat integral upper wall 14 and a centralenlarged aperture 15 therein. Said cover or closure member 13 has anintegral depending substantially annular skirt 16 which is gradually ofreduced thickness towards its lower periphery and which is partiallydefined by a relatively deeper annular inwardly opening recess 17 whichterminates at an annular integral inwardly extending shoulder or bead 18which is shown in cross-section in FIGS. 2 and 3. The normally lowerreduced portion of the skirt 16 has formed integrally therewith a shortdistance inward of its periphery a projecting locking means whichpreferably is an inwardly extending integral bead or flange 19 asillustrated. The circumference of the inner portion of the head 19 isslightly less than the circumference of the head 12 so that when saidcover is pressed downwardly to closed position, the lower part of saidskirt 16 will slightly flex outwardly and head 19 will frictionallyengage and flex inwardly and will slide and snap over the head 12 so asto be releasably held in closing position by said bead 12.

Reference numeral 20 designates a closure and sealing plate which ispreferably formed of rigid plastic or other equivalent material, andwhich is preferably of substantially annular shape and of a sizeslightly less than the ice inner circumference defined by the annularrecess 17, so that said closure plate is seated within and movablewithin the upper and lower limits of said recess 17. Said closure plate,after being preformed, is pressed into the position between the annularshoulder 18 and the upper wall 14 during which mounting the skirt 15will slightly flex outwardly to permit said closure plate to snap intoposition.

Said closure plate has a central upraised boss or head 21 which ispreferably grooved and corrugated as illustrated, and which is of a sizeso that it will extend into and be exposed through the aperture 15 ofsaid cover 13 when said cover is in substantially closed position, asillustrated in FIG. 2.

Said closure and sealing plate 20 also has a pair of integral slightlyspaced apart concentric beads 22 and 23 adjacent its periphery and whichprovide an annular groove as illustrated, which is adapted to engage andrest upon the upper periphery of the receptacle 10 to effectively sealsaid receptacle.

Said cover 13 preferably has an integral peripheral flange 25 formedthereon which facilitates manual gripping of said cover and prevents theusers fingers from slipping therefrom when said cover is pulled upwardlyfrom locking and closed position. During such removal of the cover, theuser will normally grip the cover about its outer portions and place onefinger, preferably the forefinger, upon the boss 21 and thereby hold thesaid closure and sealing plate 20 and the receptacle 10 and its contentsagainst its supporting surface. The upward pulling movement upon saidcover will cause the skirt 16 to slight flex outwardly and flange 19will move upwardly and snap over the annular flange 12, whereupon thereceptacle will continue to rest upon its supporting surface during thecontinued withdrawal of said cover assembly. As said cover is liftedupwardly, the closure and sealing plate 20 will have been moveddownwardly to the limit permitted by engagement of the inner annularshoulder 18 which causes the receptacle to remain on its supportingsurface and said closure and sealing plate 20 to be retained within saidcover and so that the same will be in position for re-sealing of thesaid closure plate when the cover is again moved into closed lockingposition.

It will be understood that the normally rigid material from which thedepending skirt 16 is formed integrally with the cover 14 is slightlyyieldable and sufliciently flexible to permit the normally lowerperiphery of said skirt 16 to move slightly outward and snap over thelower annular bead 12 when said cover is manually pressed into closedposition. When said cover is pulled upward from closed position theperipheral portion of said skirt 16 and the inner beveled bead 19 willsnap over the beveled bead 12 during upward movement.

We desire it to be understood that cooperating interengaging fasteningelements equivalent to the cooperating beads 12 and 19 may be utilizedand formed upon the base container and upon the skirt of the cover forreleasably retaining said cover in closed position, and which said coverat the same time will hold the sealing plate 20 in sealing engagementwith the upper periphery of the receptacle or container 10, asillustrated in FIG. 1.

We further desire it to be understood that our said invention is notlimited to rounded or annular shape, but may be of a wide range ofvarying shapes, depths and dimensions. Further, it is to be understoodthat the releasable locking means and beads hereinbefore described withreference to the illustrated preferred form of our invention may varyand need not be continuous and may be in spaced-apart relation.

We further desire it to be understood that the shape and size of theupwardly extending middle portion of the depressable sealing plate 20may vary in size, shape, and degree of projection. Further, we desire itto be understood that said container or said-receptacle and itscooperating cover may be made of suitable materials other than metal orplastic, for example, glass and alloys having substantially equivalentcharacteristics.

Our said invention provides the novel advantages and characteristicspreviously pointed out in the objects and accomplishments recited inthis specification.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specificterms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter and it is contemplatedthat various changes may be made in the embodiment of the inventionherein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and nothingherein shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its conceptor structural embodiment as to the whole or anypart thereof except asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container of the character described comprising an upwardly openingreceptacle having a depending annular flange and an annular outwardlyextending bead integral with said flange, said base including a hollowreceptacle open at the top and having securing means on its side;

a cover assembly having an integral skirt and having an integralsubstantially flat upper wall, having a central opening in said upperwall;

locking means on said skirt adapted to releasably engage said bead onsaid flange; said cover having an inwardly extending annular bead belowsaid upper wall;

an inner cover plate having a pair of concentric integral annular ridgesinward of the periphery of said plate;

an upwardly extending boss integral with the middle portion of saidupper wall and adapted to extend into the opening of said upper wall,

said cover plate being movable between said upper wall and said innerhead on said cover; said concentric ridges being adapted to bepositioned on opposite sides of the periphery of said receptacle.

2. A container of the character described comprising an upwardly openingbase receptacle, said receptacle having a radially extending projectingmember and a depending integral base flange;

a cup-like cover having a transversely extending upper Wall and acentral opening in said wall, said cover having a yieldable skirtportion;

inwardly extending locking means on the inner portion of said skirtadapted to releasably engage said projecting member on said receptacleto secure said cover;

an inner cover plate;

an inwardly extending annular shoulder on said skirt of said cover andspaced from the upper part of said cover and adapted to retain saidplate in said cover, said plate being movable between said shoulder andthe upper wall of said cover and being partially exposed through saidcentral opening.

3. A container as recited in claim 2 having spaced apart concentricbeads integral with the peripheral portion of said plate and defining agroove there-between which is adapted to seat on the periphery of saidreceptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS3,010,600 Larsen Nov. 28, 1961

1. A CONTAINER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING AN UPWARDLY OPENINGRECEPTACLE HAVING A DEPENDING ANNULAR FLANGE AND AN ANNULAR OUTWARDLYEXTENDING BEAD INTEGRAL WITH SAID FLANGE, SAID BASE INCLUDING A HOLLOWRECEPTACLE OPEN AT THE TOP AND HAVING SECURING MEANS ON ITS SIDE; ACOVER ASSEMBLY HAVING AN INTEGRAL SKIRT AND HAVING AN INTEGRALSUBSTANTIALLY FLAT UPPER WALL, HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING IN SAID UPPERWALL; LOCKING MEANS ON SAID SKIRT ADAPTED TO RELEASABLY ENGAGE SAID BEADON SAID FLANGE; SAID COVER HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR BEADBELOW SAID UPPER WALL; AN INNER COVER PLATE HAVING A PAIR OF CONCENTRICINTEGRAL ANNULAR RIDGES INWARD OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID PLATE; ANUPWARDLY EXTENDING BOSS NTEGRAL WITH THE MIDDLE PORTION OF SAID UPPERWALL AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO THE OPENING OF SAID UPPER WALL, SAIDCOVER PLATE BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN SAID UPPER WALL AND SAID INNER BEAD ONSAID COVER; SAID CONCENTRIC RIDGES BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ONOPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID RECEPTACLE.